The lowest form of wit

[u/TedWasler]

The Greek sarx - flesh - has given us a few words.

Many people know about the sarcophagus - literally flesh-consumer - as limestone coffins were supposedly capable of dissolving human remains.

Sarcopenia is the medical term for the loss of body mass, most noticeably muscle mass, that usually accompanies old age.

But thanks to the inestimable Susie Dent on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Unspeakable’ this morning I learned a new one. Sarcasm. Greek grammarians adapted the noun sarkasmos to describe a biting, cutting remark—a verbal "tearing of flesh" where a speaker smiles while wounding someone with insincere words.

[u/athstas]

I would translate sarcophagus as flesh-eater and sarcopenia as flesh- poverty 

[u/logos__]

Interestingly, the Japanese word for sarcasm, hiniku (皮肉), also has the character for meat in it! Though the other character means skin, so literally 'skinmeat'.

[u/raendrop]

Don't forget the sarkastodon.

[u/thelmaandpuhleeze]

I assume sarcoma also springs from this

[u/ronrori → u/thelmaandpuhleeze]

It literary describes a tumor of the flesh

[u/exkingzog]

Sarcoplasmic reticulum.

[u/azhder]

So, they had a word for tearing up a new one.

[u/small_p_problem]

And Sarkozy.